


Porcelain Breaks

by cherubilla



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Dolls, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Grim Reapers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Original Character(s), Past Sexual Abuse, Past Torture, Reapers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2020-06-23 12:49:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19701709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherubilla/pseuds/cherubilla
Summary: -Each and every material possesses both advantages and flaws. The only way to assure that the right one has been selected is to push it to its extremes.Madeline was carefully crafted solely as an experiment. An experiment to achieve a real, living doll, though her insides are mainly hollow and empty. Despite her structure, she is fully aware of her surroundings, and the pain she endures while residing in Angel's Wing Antiques. That is, until a certain group of reapers decide to pay a visit and switch things around.





	1. Return of the London Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drossel Keinz was left at the Mandalay mansion after a certain demon and his master paid a visit. But, what happened after such events?

Wheat. Far too weak to withstand a simple hit, that he should’ve known. The abrupt visit from a demon wasn’t exactly in his plans the day he innocently took the blonde girl. How beautiful she was, such a perfect doll she would’ve made. Yet, she was taken too soon, along with his own life. Specs of cereal adorned the floor, as he was left alone, inmobile and lifeless while the fleeing bodies rushed out behind a smaller figure. 

Days it took him to regain consciousness, out of shear force and will. He was an able man, after all, therefore, it was no challenge of large difficulty. The dark room hid the contents from his open head, so he had just shaken off the situation as if he had fainted. He had returned to his small shop, placing his infamous top hat on his ripped head, ready to resume his daily work as if nothing had occurred. It wasn’t until his eyes met the faint reflection in the mirror of the workshop that he felt everything stop. Wheat. A large chunk fell to the ground as he removed the accessory from his head. His eyes had widened, unable to turn away from the sight. Fear ran through his wooden body, hands starting to shake. Realisation hit him. He had been a doll all along.

He had been tricked. Drossel had worked solely for his master during such a long period of time, clueless to the disappearance of said man. Duke Mandalay had abandoned him, due to, what he had presumed to be, the lack of necessity. It was only when the ginger doll managed to stand tall on his own two feet once again, did he learn about the cruel truth. It had seemed that he, a once healthy and living human, had been brutally killed. Presumably, as a consequence of murder, but he couldn’t be sure. All memories prior to his decease were blurry and almost faded, as if it had all been a dream. This brought on a series of questions as to why his life had been taken away so carelessly, and at such a young age. Twenty three was the last age he remembered. 

Weeks hidden away left the wooden man spinning in his own thoughts. Accepting his own death was just the start. Who was he to work for now? The Mandalay family seemed to have vanished, or at least no longer in reach of a simple commoner like himself. They would most likely not even remember his scrawny self, after half a decade without his presence. After all, he was only their doll maker. Though, he had still not figured out who exactly had been the impostor who was sat in his old master’s seat. A shallow feeling had him thinking that the person was no longer around, leaving him in complete solitude. Despite the quick fix up of his smashed head, he felt as if he was missing something.

The shop had been closed since the Phantomhive visit, which caused various cobwebs to accumulate in the dark corners of the establishment. The small dolls perfectly displayed at the windows hadn’t seen the light in so long, and the thin strings from the puppets that hung from the ceiling had been worn off over time. Drossel had no clue as to what to do: the only solution he saw was to destroy each and every model until the shop was left naked from any previous works he had made with such love and effort. Everything seemed pointless, useless. 

It wasn’t until a fine Thursday evening that he finally felt a spark in his wheat-filled head. The girl. She had been waiting so quietly, so helplessly. Drossel knew perfectly well where she was, and immediately rushed to check the small room. The chamber was located close to the door that lead to the Mandalay mansion, right at the back of the shop. That way he was always sure of her not escaping the small establishment, as much as she attempted to do so when she first arrived. He could never cope to see her, the last living being near him, leave like everyone else had. And he knew she wouldn’t. 

The creak of the old door filled the empty room. The lamp he was holding lighting up the dark space, he was able to make out the small female in the corner. She looked exactly as she had when she had visited the shop three years prior. Oh, how he remembered the scene perfectly.

At the time, she had just been a curious girl, entering the doll themed shop innocently. The seventeen year old had always had an immense love for antiques, including dolls and puppets. She was looking for something specific, and Drossel was more than happy to lend a hand. The deserted store was the ideal situation to study the girl without being watched suspiciously by any other visitor. While her voice rambled about the doll she was so eagerly looking for, he couldn’t stop staring at her distinctive features. Round hazel eyes filled with youth and shine that happily stared into his own lifeless ones; lips carved by angels that glistened each time she moved them to speak; coffee-coloured curls that fell elegantly against her clear, slightly off-white skin. His mind had quickly wandered off to images of a perfectly crafted doll, exhibited behind the glass windows that decorated the front view of his shop. She would instantly steal everyone’s glances, he thought, and undoubtedly lead them to visit the store. He had been so engulfed in his thoughts that he hardly noticed the girl’s pause after her rather long explanation. Her still face seemed puzzled at the young man’s dazed one, wondering if he had actually fallen asleep on the spot.

It was then Drossel reached out his hand, caressing her silk-like skin as he admired the girl from up close. Muttering inaudible words, he felt as the younger female tensed up. She started to feel uneasy, scared, so to say. Her smaller body began to back away from the oak coloured doll, immediately regretting her decision to visit such place. Nobody was around, making the situation gradually worse as he approached her. 

Her voice finally reached his ears, causing the desire to claim her to increase, rapidly. It was a melodic sound, almost like a tune. He adored songs, especially when they were played on instruments such as music boxes. He’d turn her plees into beautiful music sheets to play. Ignoring the rising fear in her voice, he managed to trap her shaky figure, the wall pressed against her back. Words attempted to calm and submit her to him, but all faltered as he felt a strong force smash against his leg. In spite of her voluminous dress, she was able to send a kick towards him and she hurried towards the exit.

And then all turned black, for her at least. With a quick hit to her head, she fell unconsciously to the ground. The limp body was carefully taken to the back room, where she would reside until she was the ideal living doll.

And she certainly became a masterpiece.

“Time to wake up, my dear Madeline”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter is done and uploaded! I've got a heap ton of ideas for this fic, but it'll most likely be quite a slow burner. Nevertheless, please don't hesitate to leave criticism in the comments, I'm aware that my writing isn't perfect, so I'd highly appreciate it!


	2. Lifeless Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you wait long enough, dreams do indeed come true. Even if that dream includes the death of a simple visitor.

Rustling, she managed to turn around on herself, remaining stuck in the corner so as to not show a large amount of activity. The room had been her safe place for the past weeks, and she had been almost certain that the wooden doll had finally been executed that night of the strange visitors. Her beliefs had just been proven incorrect, eyes widening as they met with monotonous violet ones. A nauseous feeling started to build up in her empty stomach, recalling all the horrors that she had experienced for the past three years. And she knew they were just going to restart.

After her comatose body had been successfully carried to the workshop, Drossel had only one goal: to start immediately with what he had always desired to manufacture. Her unblemished form laid still as he paced back and forth in the dimly lit room. Making the doll structure wasn’t the problem, as he had been doing so for several years, it was more about how he was going to stuff her so she would resemble and act as similarly to a human as possible. His initial thoughts were to simply empty out all her insides and place simple vocal system in her throat, enabling her to speak freely. But after a close inspection, his mind wandered off to other uses for the doll.

The male doll racked his brains to find the perfect fundament to build the to-be model. Wax was far too used in his shop, which wouldn’t allow her to stand out from the rest of his creations. Papier-mâché would be overly fragile, and would be at a high risk any time water was around her. And wooden was a trait he solely had among the collection of dolls, and therefore, it was out of bounds of use. Cabinets full of spare limbs and eyes only deepened his search for the perfect skin to adorn the girl. His eyes then landed on an antique vase that contained numerous replaceable fingers. Approaching the container, he scrutinized it thoroughly, as if it was about to offer him an answer to his endless query. Running his solid hand against it, he finally came to the perfect solution. Porcelain.

He had never used such ceramic, despite it being quite a popular one to be used on dolls during the era. It would bring him a number of obstacles, as he wasn’t familiar with the manipulation of the material, but he knew it would be the perfect method to achieve his goal. 

Beforehand, however, he had to take the life from the girl. The girl who was so peacefully lying against the cold metal bed. A feeling of guilt sparked his chest, seeing as she’d no longer be the same after he killed her. No more soft skin touches, no more racing heartbeats. But he knew it was for the better: once he was done with her, she’d live many, many more years, gracing the world with her beauty for centuries. All he had to do was purloin her mortality. And so he did. The sharp knife split through her silk skin, leaving her to gush out a river of crimson onto the floor. She’d no longer need all of that, he thought. It was simply a waste of space. 

The manufacture of the limbs took longer than he had expected: carving perfectly fitting pieces out of the fragile porcelain wasn’t an easy task. He would have to cement the segments meticulously, so as to prevent any ruptures when she eventually was brought back to ‘life’. Drossel opted for ball joints to allow the maximum amount of movement, which he included in each finger, both wrists, shoulders and other locations where the pieces were joined up. Gradually, an idea started to form in his mind: she would be all his, his to play with, his to manipulate. She wasn’t just going to be a simple doll.

His work was almost finished, after a full day of uninterrupted work. The shop had been closed during this time, leaving him in complete silence while he perfected the final limbs. As night fell, he decided to take a short rest, as he only had the job of building the girl left to do. Little did the wooden man know that he was far from alone in the area. Abandoning the limp girl on the table, he quietly retreated to another room, leaving not a single trace of his presence behind.

“Fascinating. Her soul hasn’t left her body despite the fact that she’s no longer alive. Who would’ve thought a simple doll maker would manage to pull off something so complex”

Amber green eyes scanned the dark store from above, looking through the window from the workshop. Undoubtedly there she was, the victim of the infamous ginger doll. Such a long life had been awaiting her, but a turn of events changed her path quicker than she could’ve controlled. However, the main concern the reaper had was the lack of a soul to be collected. The young woman’s cinematic record seemed to continue, no end in sight. Her soul and life record progressed as if she had been alive, but the nonexistent beating of her heart proved otherwise. Squinting his eyes in frustration, William remained stood at the edge of the roof he had been on for the past few minutes. Nothing made sense, and if he were to return back to headquarters without fulfilling his duty, he was sure to be rewarded with an immense amount of overtime.

Shaking off the thought, he skimmed a slim finger across the small book in his hand, re-reading the girl’s profile in case he had made a mistake. Perhaps she wasn’t the one. Yet, there she was, her round face lying peacefully on the metal examination table, still as a statue. 

“Madeline Porden. Born 2nd of May, 1867, to a family derived from Kensington. She was set to die today, the 5th of July, 1884, age 17, at the hands of Sir Drossel Keinz. The cause being an injury on the left side of her ribcage, dying due to loss of blood” The tall male turned his head once more towards the dark window, studying the girl’s features. Indeed, it was her death day. “So why hasn’t your soul been released?”

Time was running quickly, this he knew. He had no time to procrastinate on the reason behind his failed job at claiming her soul. He’d simply have to give a prolonged explanation to the head of the department. And tolerate a mocking from his red-haired companion. Oh, how eager he was to return.

It was the following day when Madeline first opened her newly crafted eyes. She had felt stiff, yet extremely free to move around. Solid, but something inside her told her that she indeed possessed some organs. Though only those for her to express herself vocally, to breathe, and, strangely, a sense of warmth between her legs informed her that she was also the owner of a few reproductive inner structures.  
She didn’t feel human, but she vividly remembered what had happened before falling unconscious. It was almost as if she had inhabited another one’s body, moving only because her soul had taken over it. A sense of horror built up once she looked down at her hands. The no longer held the slight- red colour they did during her life’s previous moments, they were now opaque, almost white. As she bent her fingers, she could clearly see the small balls that connect each join, flowing perfectly as she maneuvered them. She couldn’t believe what she was witnessing: she had become a doll. Hands shooting up to her face, she caressed her smooth features, panicking as she felt that they were inhumanely perfect. What had the damned doll maker done to her?

“You’re finally awake. How do you feel, my lady?”

The tall figure of the man stood still at the doorway, seemingly amused at her reaction towards her new body. Anybody would kill to acquire such beauty, he thought to himself, what a strange girl she was. He had achieved what he had always dreamed of, a living, breathing doll. She’d come in such outstanding use, not only for him personally, but also to attract newcomers to his store. What a magnificent product he had created.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter complete! I'm having quite a lot of fun with this story, and I'm hoping that it'll turn into an extensive one. As I said in the last chapter, all kinds of criticism are happily accepted, as I'd love to hear how you, the readers, would alter the story to make it better!


	3. The Fake Display

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeline was only there to smile and attract eyes to her perfect figure. But too much faking can lead to rebellious consequences.

The days that followed left the young doll with another view on life. After she had awoken, her voice cried out continuously, questioning the man who had so carelessly turned her into what she would remain for the rest of her long, endless life. He had taken away her life. A crime so cruel that no human could ever forgive, and that she vowed to do. Madeline stuck in the workshop until the fourth day of her porcelain life, when she was able to step outside because, according to her new ‘master’, as he called himself, “she was ready for the world to see”.

What that meant exactly, she had no clue. The girl assumed that he was simply preparing a place to keep her in the Angel’s Wing Antiques shop, like some sort of display just for her. She knew well of his content with the success of her creation, since he’d remain in the same room with her, hours on end, talking and staring at her as if she were some kind of mythical being. Far from it, she thought, it was better to describe her as a monster. Once she placed her foot inside the shop, she knew there was no returning. This was her home now. An old, vintage store filled with dolls that stared at you with dead, empty eyes. Unlike her, they didn’t own a soul, they were simply trained to act in ways that would please the shop owner. 

Her training, however, was far from typical. Drossel viewed her as his toy, a play thing. And that was exactly what he did with her. It was then when she realised the truth behind the extra organs placed in the lower half of her torso. It was agony. Each time she heard the doll approach her she’d fear the worst. He was noticeable stronger than her: wood is easily sturdier than porcelain. Nights felt endless when she was utilized as he pleased. If she had kept her soft skin, she was sure that it would be covered in dark bruises. He was, after all, a solid man. Love was something she had forgotten long ago, she was unable to remember the times during her adolescence where she laughed, smiled and felt the tender touch of true affection. 

The only time her gleaming lips turned up slightly was when she was fixed onto a chair, before the large glass windows that opened up to the streets of London. A constant pressure forced her to act in front of passerbyers, gleaming at the children who admired her white, flawless figure. She was merely a product to help boost the shop’s popularity amongst the londoners. Had she done anything other from looking like a merry doll, consequences would follow that same night. Living in a state of fear was something she would grow used to, but it was something that she hoped no other living being would ever have to endure. Each night she was stored away in the back room, so as to not risk being stolen, regardless of whether Drossel accompanied her or not. She couldn’t count the number of dresses that had been utterly destroyed the nights her master had grown angry towards her. Misery. That’s all she could ever picture when she repeated the same routine each and everyday. A torturous cycle.

Three years it had been since the day of her death. Three years since she no longer felt her heart beating. Three years since she lost everything. And it was time to bring her back into the light. 

“Don’t look at me like that, my lady. I’m sure you’re anxious to meet new customers, just like you did not too long ago. Oh, how I missed you. And I thought to myself, it’s a pity to keep such a perfect doll stored away in the back of my shop. She’ll surely be back up again and ready to work in no time”

His monotonous voice brought her nightmares to life. The blank expression on his oak face terrified her, he managed to stare straight into her soul each time he did so. Breathing quickening, her body began to shake. Though she had been alone in the dark room for weeks, speaking to not a single soul, she had enjoyed it immensely. It had been a break from her daily, dreadful life. Years could have gone by and she would have remained motionless in her corner, hoping to reach her eternal rest. But life seemed to have other plans for the girl.

“I thought you died. I-I...I could’ve sworn I saw you collapsed on the ground! That infernal demon had finally put an end to you” Her brittle voice resounded throughout the silent room, filling the other’s ears. A smile slowly crept onto his lips, entertained by his toy’s reaction.

“Sweet porcelain princess, you of all people should know that a doll can never falter in life. That was simply a careless mistake I had made, nothing more. Stuffing is anything but a challenge to repair and return to its original spot.” The small smile he adorned on his lips only made the girl’s non-existent stomach churn. It may have been minimum, but it was enough to show the shear cruelty he possessed.

The smaller female was left speechless. She no longer knew what to do. There was no way she was going to willingly submit to him again. The days she spent alone allowed her to reflect on the life she wasn’t actually living. The loop her days formed seemed to make her less human as each hour passed, and at the rate she was going, it wouldn’t be long before she turned into just another wax doll. There had to be another way to escape the rotten shop.

“I see your at a loss with your words. Not to worry my dear, I’ll help you. Come to think of it, it’s been some time since I played with you, don’t you think?” His head creaked as he let it drop to one side in a questioning manner. His feet advanced at slow, agonizing pace towards her crouched body. Madeline could feel the surge of adrenaline rush through her (though impossible due to her hollow body) as his hand forcefully grabbed onto her cold arm. Years of torment she had put up with. Years of physical pain. She had had enough.

“Let...go of me!”

Her scream echoed throughout the nearby, empty streets of London. The night sky filled everything with darkness. It was 3am, nobody would hear her. Everyone was sound asleep, tranquility being the only thing present at that hour. She would have to save herself, there was no turning back now. Had she known that unfamiliar ears were listening, she would’ve called out once more, hoping that they would come to her aid.

But, fortunately, one scream was enough.

“That’s the girl”


	4. The Reapers' Night Watch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grell and William, while fulfilling their collecting duties, are met with a fellow companion, just moments before a familiar voice is heard throughout the city.

The cool, crisp breeze that ran through the vacant passageways created an eerie feeling upon the dormant capital city. Clouds dusted the navy sky, moon shining brightly through them as it projected a dim light onto the landscape. The only sound to be heard were the scrambling paws of cats that rummaged through the abandoned garbage. All else was silent, as if a spell had been cast upon the population. 

“Who would’ve thought someone could actually die from laughter? How absurd. He even had an entertaining lifetime, popular with the ladies from what I can see. Shame I couldn’t get to meet such a fine man-”

“Would you care to stop with your blabbering comments and focus on your work here”

As he fixed his lean glasses atop the bridge of his nose, William shot an unamused glare towards the flamboyant reaper beside him. It wasn’t a surprise to him that his companion made such remarks, but it did get to a point where they got dreafully tiring to listen to. Just one more soul, he thought, and then he could rid himself from her presence for a few days. 

“Has anyone ever told you you’re an absolute killjoy? I should’ve gone off with Ronnie a few streets over, I know he always puts up a good show! Always full of energy, he seems” Grell mused delightfully at the thought of spending time with the youthful reaper. He was almost like the younger brother she never had. But, alas, she was stuck with her life-long, boring colleague.

“Frankly, I prefer to solely concentrate my thoughts on efficiently reaping the souls that we were ordered to collect. We were specifically told to leave out all emotions and attachments towards the targets, and yet, here you are fawning over a stranger who just died from laughter. I must say, you have quite low standards”

“How dare you say such a thing! I’m fully aware of my exquisite taste in humans, and even in other species...I mean, look at my dear Bassy! You cannot tell me that he isn’t a wonder of a man. Why, with those piercing red eyes and sly smile...Oh, the things I’d let him do to me!” 

The red haired reaper swooned around in circles, attention completely averted from the initial human she had been inspecting. Her body twirled elegantly, a slight blush embellishing her cheeks. The refined brunette, on the other hand, simply sighed, watching her as she finished up cutting the cinematic record that belonged to the unfortunate laughing man.

“Jasper Davies, collected!” 

The floating films disappeared in a flash, leaving them illuminated only by the moon’s shine. With a pleased smile plastered on her face, Grell packed away the small book after stamping the man’s page. 

“One more left and we’re done, my dearest William! It’s been a rather long night , I’m sure you want to get back and shove your pretty little face into a pile of files. Must be quite fun”

“Immensely”

The two reapers quickly located the street in which an elderly woman was to die in her sleep in the next twenty minutes. A simple task, but it would take some time to review her extensive life. The quicker it was done, the better.

However, just as the pruner-wielding man was about to jump to the nearest roof that lead him to his next destination, a loud scream echoed throughout the area. It was a young woman’s voice. William could’ve sworn he had heard a similar pitch at some point of his work life. Halting at the edge of the pipework, he turned his head towards the origin of the sound. A small shop. Angel’s Wing Antiques.

“That’s the girl”

Grell turned her head, abruptly, staring back at her companion. What in the devil was he doing? Surely he wanted to finish up the job quickly, so why was he daddling around? She heard his words, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. There was no one around. Turning around on her heels, she rested a hand on her hip in annoyance as she shouted across the street, puzzled.

“Who?” 

He was sure of it. The day he had silently watched the girl as she was taken by the wooden man, she had let out the same scream. Although, this time, it wasn’t muffled. The clear voice brought him back to his memories of confusion from three years prior. She was still alive.

“The girl” William turned his head, eyes vaguely squinted as they met with Grell’s green ones. He knew she had been informed about the situation, though time must’ve caused her to forget completely. “The girl who didn’t die, Madeline Porden. 1884. She was murdered by the owner of that shop” He pointed his scythe directly towards the old building. It had been in the same state as it had been when he first visited it. “I was unable to collect her soul due to unknown circumstances”

“Ah, yes I remember. Your first ever failed job. My, how I laughed when you returned looking like a pitiful dog to the boss. Mr. Spears hadn’t fulfilled his duty” Grell’s singsong voice made his blood boil. It was true, he was overly ashamed to have returned without the desired soul.

“Indeed, truly hilarious. However, that’s not my concern right now: I’m certain that was her who let out the scream just now, but she hasn’t been written down to meet her...second death today” 

“Well, you’re not going to figure anything out if you just dawdle aimlessly here, now are you? Let’s go and see what’s going on” Starting up her chainsaw, a loud roaring broke the silence as she ran towards the antiques shop, followed closely by the emotionless reaper.

Once arrived at the dark establishment, they remained fixed in front of the door. Everything had been closed up, wooden planks blocking the view into the store. It was almost as if the place had been abandoned and locked up, it was abnormal. Nobody was around, making it even more curious as it was clear that the shop wouldn’t be broken into.

“Are you just going to stand there? Gosh, the door isn’t going to open by itself. It’s about time I destroyed something other than pathetic, scrawny creatures”

Creating the loudest crash William thought he had ever heard, the door was successfully broken down by the redhead, along with various shards of glass shattered across the floor. Had she made any more comotion, the whole city would have woken up in shock, William thought to himself, irritated at the female’s actions. It wasn’t a trait of hers to be quiet. 

“And where do you think you two are going?”

Grell jumped at the sudden, unexpected voice behind her. It was a low, yet appealing to the ear. A hint of cockiness never faltered in the young man’s voice. Dropping her beloved chainsaw to her side, she swiftly turned to meet the person she had longed to see earlier during that night. Spears, on the other hand, had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he needed yet another companion to wreak havoc on the situation.

“My beloved Ronnie! Just the man I was looking for. What brings you here?”

“Well, with all the racket you were aiming, I had to see what on earth was going on here. Turns out you two are just...breaking into a shop?”

“We’re searching for someone. Now if you wouldn’t mind, this job is ours to deal with” William adjusted his spectacles, giving off a faint glimmer as he did. Lacking hesitation in his pace, he proceeded to the door that had been so brutally destroyed.

“You aren’t looking for them, are you?”

A deafening crash interrupted his footsteps, a cloud of dust deriving from the back of the store. Three pairs of eyes observed the scenario, unable to move. From the grey mist, two figures were faintly visible: a tall, willowy figure stood menacingly above another, located against the wall, seemingly injured. The perplexed reapers watched as the larger person approached the smaller being, not knowing what to do in such a situation. It was then that William managed to see the detailed appearance of the lying body.

It was Madeline.


	5. Strings and Chisels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Madeline attempts to rebel against the wooden man, she is aware of the perilous situation that she's gotten herself in. She was playing a losing game.

She knew that the risk that was being taken was far from small. He was indubitably stronger than her, and she wouldn't stand a chance against him if she let down her guard for even a split second. Drossel’s expression quickly changed to that of one filled with annoyance, taken back by her unexpected snap. The girl had never attempted to talk back to him. He had her wrapped around his finger, just like a helpless child. She had nowhere else to go, as she wasn’t even human, so there weren’t any other options for her.

What hadn’t crossed his mind, however, was that she still possessed a soul. Unlike him, Madeline was able to feel emotions: fear, nostalgia, loneliness, disorientation. She had been suffering, while he lived as he always had. His empty self could never understand such feelings, he had completely forgotten what it felt like to be human. 

He had pushed her to her extremes. Daily cycles of mistreatment towards the fragile doll had finally worn away her layer of sealer, leaving her weak and demoralized. A strong feeling inside screamed at her to escape, to leave behind the horrid master. 

“Don’t be like that, doll. You know I could never let you go. Now, stop fooling around and come with m-”

A swing at his arm interfered with his dialogue, a sharp pain spreading across his limb as he backed away. How dare she. After everything he sacrificed for her. He should’ve just left her to die that night she arrived at the workshop, had he known what she would end up doing. Objecting to him as if she was the one in charge. Repulsive. Without him, she would’ve most likely died helplessly on the streets of London, he thought. Though, that wouldn’t exactly have been the case.

“You’re such an ungrateful girl, what a shame”

“Ungrateful? And for what exactly do you expect me to be thankful over? All you did was put me through utter hell these past few years. For that I should be appreciative?” Gaining enough strength, the smaller female was able to stand firmly in front of her opponent. The man she had been longing to erase from her life now seemed insignificant, almost feeble. Overthinking the pain she had underwent over the weeks she had spent alone in the dark room made her realise that she could escape, all she had to do was to rebel against the master.

“What a stupid doll”

Unable to react in time, Madeline was struck on her chest, causing a shearing wave of discomfort to spread across the area. Though, it wasn’t like she had a heart to worry about, only a pair of prosthetic lungs that helped her stay upright. Now it was her turn to fight back. Years of watching drunk men fight out on the cold, night streets had taught her just a little bit on how to defend oneself. Lunging forwards as rapidly as her body allowed her to, she managed to slam into the hard, wooden chest of the young man. This was enough to knock him momentarily off of his balance.

However, she didn’t remember that the infamous puppeteer always had something up his sleeve. That is, the thin, wiry strings used to control his beloved marionettes. The girl suddenly felt a tight grip on her solid wrist, causing her to look down towards it. This distracted her for a split second, leaving her to be thrown to the ground due to the brute force that pulled the cord.

“I’d be careful if I were you, princess. Porcelain isn’t an exceptionally strong ceramic. Hit the floor too hard and you’ll be smashed into tiny little pieces, and I’m honestly not a lover of big puzzles” Drossel’s calm voice caused Madeline irritation to increase significantly as she managed to pull herself up onto her arms.

“You’re a heartless, cruel...inhumane being. Your ignorance makes you blind towards everyone else’s sentiments, all you care about is your own, personal satisfaction. If you had experienced any kind of suffering, you wouldn’t have become such a vile creature. Yet, all your memories have been completely wiped from when you were a human” Madeline’s frail voice was full of hurt and anger. Her glass eyes bore into the man’s oak skin, hatred being the only emotion that she wished to portray with them. It was about time he learnt a few lessons regarding human life. Slowly, she regained her standing position, eyes rapidly scanning around the room for anything she could use to defend herself with if need be.

“Perhaps you stand correct, but that won’t change the way I am. My master always told me to simply focus on my work, to never worry about the clients’ feelings, because all those useless emotions could always be fixed with a present. And that is what I gave you: a new body, as a gift. But still, that wasn’t enough for you”

“You took away my life. The stupid gift you talk about could never replace what you unrightfully stole from me. And for that, I wish you nothing but pure suffering”

Finishing her speech, Madeline seized a large chisel that had been resting on one of the wall’s shelves, aiming straight for the doll’s shoulder. With a swift, strong hurl, she was able to beat the metal end of the tool against Drossel’s shoulder, causing it to crack loudly as it snapped off from his torso, wheat gushing out from the cavity. She had shocked herself, seeing as she should’ve just fought against him years prior, but she remained focused on the taller male’s movements. 

He was now angered. Though his facial expression didn’t modify whatsoever, the change of tension in the room made it clear that he wasn’t about to play games with her. After glancing over indifferently at his ruptured limb, he roughly grabbed the girl by her dress, sending her flying towards the wall behind him, smashing the wooden room divider as she cut across it. A cloud of dust picked up after the loud collision, making it unclear if he was approaching her or not.

That’s when she caught a glimpse of them. Stood right in the...destroyed doorway of the store were three individuals, bearing what seemed to be weapons. She was unable to make out the faces of the unexpected visitors, all she knew was that they weren’t familiar.

Her attention was quickly diverted, though, as she heard footsteps near her laying body. The impact lead to some minor cracks in her featureless skin, leaving her wincing slightly as she attempted to move away from the man. She wouldn’t be able to hold him back if he started to string her up in his wires. Madeline felt like a helpless butterfly trapped in a spider’s web, unable to escape. 

“May I ask what is going on?”

Everything seemed to have paused, the clear voice breaking through the commotion. The tallest person among the group of strangers had spoken, upon witnessing the violent scene that was unravelling in the small store. Dust clearing up, the reclined doll could now pick out deeper details on the faces that stood only a few metres away from her. The one who had spoken up had been a large but slender man, who sported rectangular glasses that shielded his eyes. Behind him stood two other figures: a seemingly amused blonde who’s brunette undercut contrasted with his golden bangs, and a refined woman who’s long, red locks masked her figure perfectly. Each wielded an instrument: the first held a long pruner that stood at his side as if it were a cane; the second was leaning against a...lawnmower? And lastly, the maiden was starting up her matching crimson chainsaw. 

They all seemed almost inhuman. Not only were their attires rather extravagant for the time of night it was, but they all also had a distinct feature to them. Their eyes were bright green, fading into amber. Madeline had never seen such eyes in her short lived life.

“Good evening. I’m afraid the store is closed, but please do come back in the morning, when we shall be opening right around-” Drossel’s delightful voice was briskly cut off by a rather long, metal rod shooting towards him, missing his nose by mere millimetres 

“I’m afraid we’re not here to discuss business. Rather, I’d like to know what you have done with the young woman lying before you”

“Whatever do you mean? She’s just another doll of mine, I can assure you”

“That I have to disagree with, Mr. Keinz. I know you murdered her that day three years ago. Now, if it’s no problem, would you care to make a clear explanation as to what you did with, specifically, her soul?”

Drossel stared at the stranger, unable to process the fact that somebody witnessed what happened that night. He had sworn that he had closed up his little shop, so as to not let any clients enter. Anger lightened up his dull eyes for an instant, grabbing hold of the cold tool, hand wrapping around it. William didn’t react, thinking that the man was just going to continue talking, or perhaps even deliver the clarification he was awaiting. 

Though, his thoughts were proven wrong when a large quantity of thin strings wrapped around his scythe, as others headed straight towards him.

“Alright, dolly, that’s enough playing around!”

Grell cut the approaching wires at full tilt, allowing her companion to regain his pruner. She was all for a fun time shredding up some pathetic wood up into pieces. Ronald, simultaneously, started up his own scythe, quickly approaching the girl that had still remained on the ground.

“Don’t blame me if this place gets ridden with sawdust, honey, but I’m about to turn you into a lovely oak table” The exuberant reaper chimed out as she lunged towards the doll, chainsaw roaring loudly as she swung it. However, she was caught up suddenly in a heap of strings, wrapped around both her and her scythe. William took notice immediately and snipped them as if they were simple cinematic records. Though, it was clear that Drossel wasn’t going to let up so easily. Backing up towards the back wall, he quietly glared at the two immortals.

Getting rid of the stuffed puppet wasn’t going to be easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter posted! This fic is going to be quite the long one, as I've said before, but I can tell y'all that science boy is just about to appear in the story, and spice things up a notch. Gosh I love that boy. Anywho, please don't hesitate to leave a comment down below, I'd love to hear what you guys think of the story so far ! xx


	6. Hazy Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once escaped the infamous store, the reapers are set to investigate the strange doll.

Drossel had recognised the ginger woman immediately when she had thrown herself towards him. It was a reaper, accompanied by another two of the repulsive beings. He knew what he was up against, having already encountered her the night that he had fallen at the door of his “master’s” door. They were anything but weak.

“All we ask for is an explanation” William’s tedious voice rang out to the doll, as he retracted his scythe back towards him. There was no chance that the wooden man was going to give away his secret, as he knew that would lead to his favorite recreation to be taken away. All the reapers wanted was her soul, nothing more, and the only way they’d acquire it would be to completely destroy the girl.

“I do hope that you don’t expect me to give her up so easily”

While the three attempted to wipe each other out, Ronald had successfully approached the girl. He could clearly make out that she was in pain, though nothing seemed to be seriously damaged. Which was rather surprising, seeing as she had been viciously thrown against the wall.

“Are you alright? Can you stand up by yourself, missy?”

His warm smile and the concern that filled his voice left Madeline unable to form words. She hadn’t been spoken to with such care in so long, it was almost alarming to see someone do so. She nodded her head as an answer, ignoring the commotion that was unravelling beside her. Though, as she attempted to lift herself up with the balance of her arms, her strength was quickly drained, leaving her to fall back again.

“Looks like it might be a bit of a struggle to get up. Not to worry, I’m always up for saving fair ladies like yourself!” Leaving his garden machine beside him, the blonde leaned down as his arms swept around her cold, solid body. He had never felt such a woman before “You’re awfully cold...and stiff! Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, really...just a few hits here and there, don’t worry” Madeline managed to speak up, taut voice reaching the reaper’s ears. She tried to remain calm, despite the fact that she was currently being held by a complete stranger while the man who had mistreated her fought against two other unknown individuals.

The scene was fierce, loud crashes and sounds of the shelves being demolished filled the air. If they didn’t let up soon, the shop was sure to be left in ruins. What astonished her the most, however, was the strength Drossel actually possessed. He was nothing like the previous time he had to defend himself. As the red haired reaper attacked the doll, the other interfered only when the damned strings came into action.

“Best be getting out of here before we end up beneath the roof of this place” Ronald propped her up on one of his arms, wrapped safely around her, as his other hand reached for his beloved scythe. It seemed it wouldn't be in use his time around. Quite a pity, he thought.

“I’d recommend you put a halt to all of this before we turn your little establishment into ruins. May I remind you that we aren’t the ones with the disadvantages here”

If he actually had a heart, the man knew it would be racing. The two reapers were wasting his time and only worsening the condition of his store. All this over his favoured possession. Madeline. She was no longer set next to him, the wall now empty and half demolished. How had he lost sight of her? Eyes frantically shooting around the room, they finally located his prize. Almost at the doorway, she was being taken away by the blonde stranger. He was losing his treasure. Choosing to ignore the taller reaper’s words, he shot strings towards the white skinned girl, wrapping around her neck in an instant.

With a harsh pull, Madeline was quickly brought down to the ground, falling from the warm embrace of the young man. She heard the familiar crack of her skin, resounding in her ears as her eyes widened in fear. Any more injuries and she was at risk of her body shattering into thousands of fragments. Clawing at the ground, she panicked as she was yanked by her neck towards her creator. If she didn’t escape, it would all be back to the beginning.

“You leave me no choice, I suppose”

A loud crack split the sound of commotion. Everything froze. Drossel’s eyes slowly turned down to stare at his impaled chest, twisting his head in confusion. It had seemed that he had forgotten about the sharp pruner William was holding firmly between his fingers. With a swift movement, the metal rod exited his body, leaving a large perforation to spill out a river of stuffing. Losing all feelings from his torso, the doll collapsed to the ground, though still alive.

“Let’s go before he recovers his strength, I’m done fighting against a measly toy” The taller man turned away from the wooden body, snipping off the strings that had been wrapped around Madeline’s neck to allow her to move freely. “Ronald, make sure she doesn’t injure herself on our way back”

“With pleasure!”

The girl’s body was carefully relifted from the ground, feeling once more the comfort that she had been lacking for so many years. Madeline was oblivious to what was going to happen to her now, being taken away from her “home” by a group of unknown people, only trusting them because they didn’t attack her, instead doing so to Drossel.

“You must be wondering why we aren’t just simply leaving you here, Miss Porden. We have a few inquiries involving your soul, so we shall be taking you to be examined in our investigation departments” The man explained to her, before heading out the shop, followed by the red haired woman and the blonde who held onto her. “By the way, you may call me William. William T. Spears. And if you haven’t already joined the puzzle pieces, we are indeed reapers”

Frankly, she had no clue what he was talking about. William T. Spears. She had never heard the name before. But the term ‘reaper’ she was familiar with, as they were beings (supposedly, unreal) who collected the souls of those who were destined to die in the near future. Recent events in the city had led to a number of citizens to pass away, making the topic more discussed throughout the streets of London.

Madeline, however, had heard the short conversation that the discreet reaper had had with the doll, mentioning a topic about her own soul. Did she even know what had happened to it? She assumed that it was still within her, judging by the strangers question from earlier, but, how did the dollmaker make sure that it wasn’t completely lost from her body? Perhaps she would never find that answer.

“Just as he rightfully said, we’re reapers! The name’s Ronald Knox, be sure to remember me as the man who heroically rescued you from a dangerous situation, Maddy” Her ears perked up at the nickname, bringing a feeling of nostalgia towards her empty stomach. It had been forever since she had been called by that name. It was a nickname filled with sweetness, something she hadn’t felt since her human life. How she wished she could just return to those days.

“And you can call me Grell, Grell Sutcliffe. The reaper with the most beauty and grace I’m certain you shall ever encounter, trust my words on that!” The ginger woman smiled eagerly towards her, sharp teeth gleaming in the dark night. They were an amusing trio, to say the least, but they didn’t seem to be a threat, she thought. Although, she wasn’t ready to hold any kind of conversation with them just yet. First, she wanted to know where exactly they were taking her

The crisp air caressed her face as she gazed at the landscape before her. The reapers took a liking to moving around on rooftops, so as to not be seen by mortal eyes of those who weren’t destined to die soon. Madeline had never seen the vast city from those angles, being able to clearly make out each street and passageway from above. It was a sight she was sure to remember. Loud chimes resounded through the air as the tower clock, also known as Big Ben, indicated that the time was 4am. In just an hour, the sun would rise upon the hazy horizon.

After a short while of surprisingly fast running from Ronald, who was holding onto her and his scythe, and countless worries in the girl’s head about falling from his arms, the four of them arrived at what looked to be a large office building. Contrary to the ones Madeline had seen in London, the structure presented a clean white profile, most likely build with marble or white bricks. It’s monotonous colour gave off a hospital vibe, she thought. Despite the early hour, lights could be visibly seen through the windows of the establishment. It seemed that the labourers worked deep into the night through to the morning sun.

They made their way towards the building, being lead by a stone path that ended at the large, steel door. Other reapers (Madeline assumed they were such, taken the fact that they all wore fitting suits and attires that loosely matched with those of her newly-met companions) could be seen exiting through the doorway, while others were simply stood nearby, talking to their co-workers. Each and every one wore glasses, masking they’re chartreuse eyes. It would seem that all reapers had those same characteristics. Some were even holding their own tools (garden tools, which immensely amused the girl), who were walking in the opposite direction to them, probably going to fulfill some jobs.

Once reaching the door, William turned on his heel, looking down at the young woman.

“I’ll be taking you to the investigation facility now. Grell and Ronald, you two go and make sure that tonight’s work has been carried out correctly and inform the head of staff concerning my whereabouts”

“Surely I should be the one taking her in, I mean, I have just carried her through the whole of London!” A pout formed on Ronald’s lips as he gently lowered Madeline to the ground. She wasn’t able to keep herself up for too long, but she assured herself that she would manage on her own. “What if she falls again? Judging by her state, I’d say she’d be in big trouble if that were to happen becau-”

“That’s enough. I’ve clearly stated what we will now do, so please just leave it to me”

“And what about me? I can’t imagine what you two could end up doing all alone!” Grell’s face turned into that of distress, a sense of worry lighting her up as she imagined the outcome of such a situation. William’s patience was cutting short, and the reaper could clearly see it. She loved toying around with him, yet she would never fully admit her true intentions behind her actions.

“I said that’s enough. We’ll be going now. Be sure to do what I asked you two for”

A loud sigh came out from the reapers, sulking as they entered the building. They seemed quite the pair to Madeline. The man beside her adjusted his glasses before walking past the door, followed slowly by the girl. Her legs felt as if they could shatter at any moment, and her body felt awfully frail. Attempting to distract the discomfort, her eyes looked up to admire the inside of the building. Everything was immaculate.

In front of the doorway there was a large cabin with a rather noticeable “Secretary” sign. On the other side of the glass sat a middle aged woman who was quickly scribbling something down while balancing a phone on her shoulder. Hazel eyes narrowed at the sight, seeing as the phone didn’t seem to have a cable connected to the lower end of it. There must’ve been an update in the past three years she was unaware about.

People rushed back and forth beside her, with books of papers stacked into neat piles being carried around. One reaper was simply stood against a wall, drinking what she presumed to be was coffee or tea out of a mug, contrasting with the racket going on around him. How strange, the porcelain doll thought, that some people can be so peaceful amidst a storm of work.

“Do try and not lose yourself, I don’t really want to have to go around looking for you at this hour in the morning” William’s tedious voce snapped her out of her thoughts, making her look up towards him. She had never seen herself as a rather tall person, but walking next to the slim male made her feel like a garden gnome. Added to that, the people inside the building weren’t very short either.

The two made their way down a long corridor that contained various doors, each with a different sign above them specifying what each division dealt with. The facility was enormous, taking into account the size of the rooms had to be. How the reapers didn’t get utterly lost in such a place was a mystery.

Halting before a door with a “Forensics” plate on it, William gestured to the girl to remain outside until further notice. Wonderful. Madeline was now left out in the hallway, alone and looking quite a mess, with her ruined cerulean dress almost resembling a dirty brown due to the mess that had been made back at Angel’s Wing Antiques. Her curls were a disaster, and it was only a miracle that her makeup was designed with permanent oil paints, or she would’ve looked like some type of vile witch. She avoided the glances passerbyers shot at her, remaining faced towards the door.

A few moments filled with uneasiness later, the man emerged once more from the room. Madeline caught a quick glimpse of what the interior looked like, but all she saw was a white table filled with metal trays.

“It seems that the department is almost empty, as the...criminalist don’t arrive until 6am. Luckily for you, though, there is someone inside. He’s not exactly my favoured co-worker, granted, but he can start working on you until the rest arrive”

Madeline nodded, in spite of unknowing what he meant by “working on her”. She hoped that she wouldn’t be getting disassembled by some lunatic just to find her soul. Nevertheless, she followed the man closely behind, hearing as the door shut and sensing how gazes averted away from her. At least the room was quiet and lacking a crowd of people.

The table she had previously seen through the door was indeed there, stacked with large quantities of metallic trays. They were most likely used for transporting organs, or maybe even small humans. The thought was grim, so she attempted to forget it and look around the rest of the narrow room. A large window in front of her presented the sight of outside, though not much could be seen due to the pitch black sky, and the fact that it most likely looked out onto a garden of some sort or maybe even a field, as there were no city lights. To her right there was a small corridor, with more doors, similar to the one she had been in just moments prior. Perhaps they were little labs, or storage rooms.

Suddenly, one of the doors slammed open, making Madeline jump slightly, as William remained unfazed. Nobody knew how to be calm in this place, she thought. From within the unknown room, a young man emerged with a smile plastered on his face. The first thing she noticed about him was his eyes. They were the same, amber green colour as all the rest of the reapers she had met, but the shape of his were almost cat-like. Something she had never seen before.

“Well then, I shall be going now. I’ll leave you to it, _Othello_ ”


	7. A Different Kind Of Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Othello specialised in dead humans, so a living doll was anything but expected in his laboratory.

Othello. Aside from his eyes, she couldn’t help but notice just how much he resembled a typical, mocking depiction of a scientist. His dark green hair was styled upwards, framing his face with a few stray hairs. This gave him an appearance similar to that of someone who had just been through a chimney, which supported his mad scientist appearance. He came across as being younger than the other reaper who had led here to the room, possibly due to his bright expression in contrast with the flat expression of the other, but he gave off a vibe that he had been in the division for quite some time now.

Instead of sporting a suit, like the rest of the reapers in the facility, he wore a long, white lab coat, pockets filled with pens and papers. He wore loose trousers, most likely to maximise comfort during the countless hours he spent analyzing subjects. However, the only lacking part of his outfit were his shoes. Well, they weren’t even shoes: socks with sandals. Madeline had to restrain herself from cringing outwardly as her eyes fell on the abomination that he had committed on his feet. Her eyes darted back up at his face to save herself from staring any longer.

“Certainly. I’ll be sure to come in contact with you as soon as I find some answers” The seemingly younger reaper responded, watching as the other reached for the door. 

“Good day”

As the door finally fell shut, Madeline finally realised the situation she was stuck in. A stranger she had never seen before stood before her, who was apparently going to investigate her as if she was some kind of unknown species. Her throat turned dry, drier than usual. Her mind wandered off into the worst scenarios that could enravel in that white room

“You don’t seem to be much of a talker, huh. Not to worry, you needn't say much. I can understand your nervousness, must be quite a sight for someone like you to be introduced to the facility. Say, what was your name again?”

His blabbering took the doll by surprise. Never had she heard someone pronounce that quantity of words in such a short time. He was now fairly close to her, having taken a few steps towards her while speaking.

“Madeline. Madeline Porden” Her voice sounded tired, almost sore. After what she had experienced just a few hours earlier, it was no wonder she was drained from all sorts of energy. No human, nor doll for that matter, is able to withstand such pressure.

“Madeline...I see. You seem to be exhausted. I can’t start putting you to work already, you’d collaps-” 

“Wait, wait...what?” The girl spoke up, brown eyes staring up at green ones in confusion. A rush of intrigue lit up her expression, but not to one of curiosity. She wasn’t going to start working again if she was just going to end up in the same lifestyle she had previously experienced. Her frustration halted though, the male in front of her chuckling lightly at her alarmed words.

“Calm down, calm down...I’m not going to put you into a working position. To be honest, that was my fault for using the wrong words. To put it simply, I’ll just be running some tests on you, to see what on earth that dollmaker did to your soul, you know? Nothing to be concerned about”

Madeline wasn’t sure if she fully trusted him. After all, they had just met and it was currently far too early to be thinking straight. Nonetheless, she couldn’t exactly escape through the window or anything: she’d just end up back in the city again and quickly returned to her home.

“Well, enough talking, we need to get you sat down somewhere and, preferably, changed. You’re giving off an awful amount of organic aromas, which I’m not complaining about, but you’re going to stain everything in that dress” Othello’s eyes traveled down to stare at the sight of her attire, wondering how she even ended up in that state. How he loved not going out and having to do the dirty work sometimes.

“But, do you have anything I can change into?” Madeline was concerned about the fact that she’d have to wear something that would make her look like his sidekick. And there was no way she was about to slip on some socks and sandals. She watched as the reaper turned and made his way back to the room he had exited just moments ago. He had a slight hint of happiness in his walk, like he was excited to start on the investigation as soon as possible. He was rather strange, to say the least.

“I’m pretty sure there are some spare gowns in the back from my associates, you could wear one of those” He smiled, turning his head back momentarily to look at her solid form. Madeline figured it was time for her to actually move, seeing as he wasn’t going to pick her up, thankfully. Her legs still ached, but she figured that once she sat down it would all ease down. 

She followed the man into the unknown space, a little bit of intrigue making her reach the doorway at a faster pace than she had walked earlier. Turning to enter, the interior of the room was finally presented to her. 

It was a laboratory. The clean, white walls were filled with racks stacked up to the brim with bottles and boxes, as well as strange, abnormally large cylinder tanks filled with what looked like water, but she wasn’t sure since the liquid looked a little too blue. That was only one side of the room; the other had a quite vast number of tables, which were either holding microscopes and test tubes, or filled with books and papers. She assumed that was the place the reaper took all of his notes in from his tests and experiments. In the centre of the room stood a metal operating table, further illuminated with lights that hung above it. It gave the girl an uneasy feeling, dreading that would be the place she’d be spending the next countless days lying on. 

After staring concerningly at the structure for a few moments, Madeline realised that the young man was no longer in the room. Confused, she looked behind her and around the room, hoping to find him somewhere. No sign of him. Surely he hadn’t just left her stranded in the unfamiliar space after leading her in there? She hoped not, as she had no clue what to do in the laboratory all alone. Her worries were quickly pacified, however, when the green haired male emerged from what looked like a closet located at the right end of the room. 

“Just as I hoped, spare gowns. We’ve always got some left over in case we get drenched by the entrails of fellow clients. It happens quite regularly, you’d be surprised”

Entrails. What kind of lab even was this? Admittedly, she had seen the “Forensics” sign that was hung just outside the main room. But still, did they just cut open the dead bodies like bags of flour? Madeline was about as lost as a needle in a haystack.

“Can I ask...what exactly do you even do here?” She couldn’t help but express her confusion. Sure, she felt like she would collapse at any moment, but she really needed to know what exactly went on in that laboratory before she just laid down on the table.

“Curious, are we?” Othello chuckled, handing over the white piece of clothing to her. He hadn’t been asked that question in quite some time, since the newcomers were usually...well, dead. “You probably saw the sign outside: we’re the Forensics Division of the Grim Reaper Dispatch, from the British branch, of course”

“So...there are more buildings like these...scattered across the world?”

“Precisely. One for each country. But this is only one division out of a number of others. Here we deal with, primarily, unexpected and peculiar deaths. As you know, reapers are to collect the souls of those who have deceased. Sometimes, however, there are occasions in which the victim dies far too early or too late, due to unexplained circumstances. That’s where we come in. You see, we don’t visit the human world, unless it’s an emergency, so our job is to investigate and uncover the strange causes for these deaths”

That explained the stacks of notes on the desk and shelves with strange containers. Madeline had a fair idea what was going on, but she had never heard of this reaper job. She had just always thought that they went around picking up souls. With a slight tilt of her head, she decided not to answer, since she knew her mouth would just utter out more questions and frankly, her body wasn’t ready to withstand another minute upright. Gown in her hand, she asked for a place to change into. 

She was told to simply go into the closet, since it wasn’t going to take her very long to change into her new clothes. While she took off her ruined dress, the doll couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d be in this building. What if they never discovered the reason as to why she kept her soul, or even worse, just simply took it away from her? Feeling herself growing anxious, she decided to push those thoughts away. 

The only way she was going to meet her fate was to play along with the reapers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, this chapter has been stored away for MONTHS. I'm very sorry to have not been updating this poor story in so long (to think I was writing this in summer and I'm now at the end of the semester, about to start my finals...), but I'll try and get on here more often now, as I've been writing a shed load of things for school and it's made me realise how much I miss writing my own stories. So, here I am once more.


	8. Science never sleeps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeline has more than just a few questions as she gets comfortable around the strange scientist. He's amusing, to say the least, but one thing grabs her attention: he doesn't quite like to speak of his own past.

How on earth does someone make such an intricate doll? Surely she hadn’t been crafted by hand, everything seemed too...realistic to have been shaped by mere dollmaker’s touch. The thought kept spinning around in Othello’s head. He had observed the rapid advances humans made in their creations for the past few centuries, but he had never seen anyone create something that mimicked a real, living being so closely.

The young man’s speculations were brought to a stop by the sound of the closet door opening. From within, the light-skinned girl walked out, her old dress in hand as she closed the door behind her. Though her hair remained with the appearance similar to that of a bird’s nest, she now had a cleaner image, her body being enveloped in a white, loose nurse coat. She had to admit, despite looking even paler than she usually did with the new clothing piece, it was rather satisfying to not have her waist tightly squeezed into her corset (which was now somewhat useless, due to the lack of bones and elasticity of her body)

“Right then, now that you’ve changed, how do you feel? If you’re just as tired as you were before, I’d highly recommend you take a rest” Her face seemed to have lightened up, though she was as pale as ever. It wasn’t like she could do much about that. Eyes were no longer as droopy as before, so he figured the change into a more comfortable attire helped her.

“I feel a tad better, to say the least. I think I’ll manage for a little while, if you want to start on all the tests now. Thank you for the gown, by the way” Her salmon tinted lips curled up into a grateful smile, approaching the reaper. Her vast dress was still in her arms, but was quickly disposed of to the side once Othello told her where she could leave it until it could be washed. 

The atmosphere turned welcoming as Madeline felt herself settling down, as she no longer felt like such a stranger in the white room. She was aware of the fact that she’d be spending quite a long time in the space, so it was best she got used to it as soon as possible. As for the scientist who resided in the room, slowly but surely she started to ease into his company.

“No problem, it’s only fair to offer pleasant hospitality to a newcomer. And as for the tests you speak about don’t worry about that. I’d rather you be in top notch shape before starting any of that, so perhaps we can start this afternoon” Once again, his smile couldn’t help but give off such a friendly vibe to the doll. Of course, she’d see the smiles of children that stared up at her through the glass windows of the store display, but they were always greedy ones, or even eager ones that simply wanted to buy her like any other toy. She hadn’t been smiled at with such friendliness since she could remember.

The morning sun could be seen through the rectangular window situated at the end of the lab, slowly emerging from behind the horizon. It was most likely going on for 5am, she thought, which meant that the building would get significantly noisier as reapers piled in to restart their daily duties. 

“How come you’re awake so early?” Madeline turned her gaze away from the windowsill, looking back at the viridescent haired male. He was now focused on some papers that were laying on the table she had seen before. His expression turned to that of an amused one, lifting his head to return the look.

“Science never sleeps, so why should I? Two or three hours of slumber is more than enough for me. Picture this: a new, mysterious being is dropped off in the division at some ungodly hour in the morning, and I’m not there to provide some sort of welcoming. Who would give them a new set of clothes?”

Madeline chuckled, her steps nearing him as she left the sunrise view.

“Well, dearest clothes-provider, I’m very thankful that you were awake then. But surely, with no one else around at this hour, you must get quite lonely”

“You don’t really need company when you’re working on test subjects. As a matter of fact, the only time I had a conversation with one of my coworkers was the only instance where we made various mistakes while retrieving evidence” Quickly writing down a few notes onto one of the sheets of paper in front of him, he moved the pile aside, leaving him space to lean his hand on. Now facing the shorter girl, he could see her expression of interest, which highly delighted him. It was rare that someone actually listened to him blabber on about his work, let alone ask questions regarding the subject.

“I see...I assume they’ll be arriving soon, it’s already getting early”

“Right you are. You may not see them, though, as they’ll be spending most of today in their own labs”

“Own labs?” So that’s what the other rooms were. 

“Mhm. Each door in the hallway we were in before is a research lab for every forensics reaper that works here. We aren’t a huge number of integrants, but that makes work here so much easier when it comes to investigations: you don’t have people coming in and interrupting you”

“May I ask, why are there so few of you? You’d think that there would be an equal amount of investigators and soul collectors” Madeline asked, turning on her heel as she commenced her stroll around the room. She wondered if all her questions were bothering him, but judging by the kind smile on the scientist’s face, her negativity disappeared in no time. It had been so long since she had had an actual conversation: the words she spoke to Drossel were simple answers to his appalling questions and remarks towards her, in the hope that nothing worse would happen to her. 

“Every year, when they take in a new set of shinigamis, the majority of them have already formed an image in their head of patrolling around cities and collecting souls, nobody ever thinks about filing all the documents, managing the establishments and, in this case, studying the deaths of every individual. I’ve never been fit to take on the duty of collecting souls, I knew that the moment I arrived”

“And how long have you been here?”

Memories flooded into the scientist's head. His breath hitched, and his gaze fell to the floor in an attempt to not let the girl sense the troubled feeling that was settling into his body. Of course he knew how long he had been in the godforsaken building. Hell, he could even recreate the scene of him walking in, having passed the tricky tests. But certain characters that accompanied him on the new journey didn’t bring him much happiness when he looked back on it all. Rather, they brought a sense of rage, regret almost, as he saw how vulnerable his past self was when he was around said people. In no way he wished to see them again, but a part of him wanted to eliminate their existence. He knew they were still out there, somewhere.

The lack of response gave Madeline a clear view of the situation: she had hit a complicated spot for Othello. Frowning to herself, she racked her brain to think of some way to recover from such a low state. Had she known how the question would ruin the friendly atmosphere, she would have remained as quiet as she had been for the past few years. 

“Um...Any chance you could show me around a lit-”

“I completely forgot! I have a meeting this morning with miss Grell herself. You must excuse me, but if I don’t arrive bang on time, I’ll be chased around the gardens by a chainsaw again. Don’t worry, I shan’t be too long, but it’s probably best to not open the door if anyone knocks while I’m out: it’ll probably be Ronald trying to take some of my documents”

Now it was the doll’s turn to remain silent, unable to speak over the fast babbling. Men sure could change their state of mind quickly…

“Do rest for a bit. See you later, Milly!”

Milly? Couldn’t he have stuck with Maddy? That was the usual nickname she was assigned when kids asked for her name at the store. Not that Madeline was a long name, it just sounded...odd for a doll. Though Milly didn’t sound too bad, she had to admit. Fiddling with her cold hands, she turned on her heels and watched as the sun rose, slowly, lighting up the room with it’s warm rays. How she could feel such a thing on her porcelain skin was something she’d hope to find out after Othello’s studies. 

As time passed, voices started filling the far hallways, and as much as she wished she could listen in to the small chitchat of the reapers, the walls only let her hear muffles. Behind a glass window, you’d be surprised at how much she could hear coming from the busy streets of London. Every morning she would get the latest gossip from the young ladies that waltzed around in their large dresses and stood around the bakery. She listened as the kids told each other stories that they had heard the night before and made up their own. Men shouted from atop carriages and the store workers would always have something to say about the government and the economy. It was the only way she could feel like she still belonged in that world, the world of living, breathing humans, where she once had the privilege to take part in. She could only watch and stare blankly, unable to speak because such dolls didn’t exist yet. And even then, who would want to hold a conversation with a cold blooded figurine?

Madeline caught a glimpse of her reflection in the door’s glass opening, hair still resembling a nest. She brought her hands up and tried her best to smooth down the strands, trying her best to not ruin the curls. She highly doubted that they had curlers in such a place, so she would have to deal with her withered hair until she could find some. Her face looked the same. When your makeup is permanently painted on, there’s not much that can smudge it, you see.

Her reflection was interrupted by a familiar face that blended in with her own. Taken aback, she took a few steps back so she could see who it was. Smile plastered on his face, Ronald waved quickly at the girl and opened the door. Of course Othello hadn’t bothered to lock it.

“Hey there, missy! Just came in to check on ya. Everything top notch?” The moment the reaper stepped into the room, his voice filled the atmosphere. “Grell had to talk with Othello so I figured you’d be a little lonely in here all by yourself. No worries, I’m here now”

Madeline couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. It was going to be strange to have friends again, but she’d be lying if she wasn’t excited for them.


End file.
